Thumb plane

[RBLusthaus]

Hi guys

I have seen references in prior posts to a thumb plane used for working arrows and was wondering if any of you could show me a pic of what you are referring to.  Is it a plane which circles the thumb somehow or just a small plane "the size of your thumb" that fits in the palm of your hand. 

Thanks in advance for your anticipated pics and explanations. 

Russ

[DuBois]

Yeah, what is it?

[Prarie Bowyer]

I think it is that tinly little hand plane.  I have seen them at lowes or check under the little planes at Japanwoodworker.com.  Nice ebony and rosewood ones for realistic money.

The ones that seem to come with the arrow track planes are the little guy from lowes.  However any block plane would do.  I prefer some of the non standard angle types.  The Ausies and Asians make a plance with a much higher degree of cut whihc helps with hard or beavily figured wood and you can turn the blade over and it becomes a scraping plane. 

Check HNT Gordons work.

I just just bought the small smoothing plane from Japan Wood workers. com.  I've made several of my own planes but i'm not actualy set up for it so they "work" but ..... they clog also. 

Similar with my spoke shaves.  I have one that is for agressive cutting and one that is a scrape shave.  I'll rebuild both some day.  Both will be given a bone foot.  The scrape shave will be taken down from 90* to something < 90* and the throat opeaned up so it dosen't clog so easily.  The spoke shave will get a new body with a bone nose so it dosen't wear or leave streaks in my white wood bows.  Though for the prices at Japan wood worker I may just save my time for actual bow making and buy one of the burnt in Tang types.

[Pat B]

This is my arrow making tool kit. The thumb plane is at the top of the pic. About $10 at ACE hardware and elsewhere. It is a cheap little stamped sheet metal plane with an adjustable blade. Works great for hardwood shoot arrows and for making doweled shafting mand tapering shafts.

[Frawg]

Pat, any possibility you could tell us new guys what all those are? The thumb plane I know and have. a file? and I am assuming Tile saw with handle at bottom are the rest used to straighten?
Matt

[Pat B]

Matt, the 3 tools with the holes in them are arrow wrenches used for shaft straightening(actually one has screw eyes). The small block with the groove in it is for adding lightening grooves to hardwood shoot arrows. I has a sheet rock screw protruding in the grove that I ground to a blade. I drag this along shoot arrows to cut the lightening groove. I use these grooves on shoot arrows I have a hard time keeping straight. The tile saw and file are for cutting and finishing self nocks. I now prefer to use my bandsaw for the initial slot and work it out with the file and emory cloth folded over and over again.

[DuBois]

Hey Pat, perfect timing since I am about to try my hand at some shoot arrows and assembling a few tools 
Do you have a tool for sizing the shafts? Is one of the wrenches used for that?
Thanks Pat.

[Frawg]

Thanks for the explanation sir.
Matt

[RBLusthaus]

So, a "thumb plane" is just a real small block plane, the size of your thumb, huh?  OK.  I was hoping is was something else, such as a curved type blade set in some way for use with your thumb, similar to those small violin planes and spoke shaves for the pointer fingers.  Bummer.  Nothing new to see here.  Thanks for the info.

Russ

[Slackbunny]

[Pat B]

DuBois, I use a 3/8" open end wrench for cane shafts but generally just eyeball sourwood shoots. I do have a piece od osage , similar to the one here with the oval hole  that has 3 different size holes, 5/16", 11/32", 3/8" that I use if I'm planing down larger shoots.
  You have to be careful with these wrenches because they will dent the hot wood when you are straightening shafts. I try to do most straightening by hand but with some difficult bends or crooks I will use the wrench.

[DuBois]

Thanks Pat,
Good info again!